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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

How to Succeed During Your Whole30!

Aw snap, we're starting the Whole30 on Monday! Are you ready? Have you been prepping? I started stocking up and thinking about my meal plan for the first week, which I will post as soon as I finish it! In the meantime, let's talk more about how you can have a successful Whole30!

After Sarah finished her Whole30 and wrote her results post, she immediately asked if she could write a success guide. I told her I already had bunch of things swirling through my head, but that I would love to include her thoughts. So here are some tips to achieve success during your Whole30 courtesy of Sarah:

Find accountability and support: Even just one amazing friend is all you need.That was Amber for me.She supported me with my every question, my every struggle, my every temptation, and helped me brainstorm whenever I got stuck with meal ideas.Seriously, support is key.I could not have done my Whole30 without you, Amber.THANK YOU. Love you, girl. Find yourself an Amber.

Prepare Prepare Prepare: Did I mention prepare? How about preparation?And by this I mean both mentally and physically.

Do your research.Understand what you are committing to, and why you’re committing to it.30 days is a long time to commit to something that you don’t understand or are not passionate about.

Get your house ready.Reorganize your pantry.Throw stuff out.Whatever it will take for you to manage temptations and cravings and stay on track.I’m not a big fan of just throwing perfectly good food away, so I reorganized my pantry, put temptations in boxes that were so far out of reach, they weren’t worth the energy to get to them.Seriously.Do what it takes.Know yourself.

Find your recipes ahead of time – print them out – organize them – and SHOP for them.

Introduce “treats” gradually throughout the 30 days: For example, Larabars = Godsend.I didn’t discover these until the second half of my Whole30, which was great timing, as I was getting bored with the things I was eating. Pure fruit juice? Dynamite!Waited until my 3rd week to try that out.It was just the boost/ treat I needed to get me through a few more days.

Plan to go to the grocery store often and spend a LOT of time reading labels: That is all.

Thank you Sarah! I am so proud of you and I can't wait to see your success in the April Whole30!

And here are a few of my own:

Similar to what Sarah said... meal plan: Set yourself up for success by planning everything that will go into your mouth. I suggest planning a week at a time, which should also help you avoid additional grocery store trips throughout the week.

Cook in bulk so you have leftovers for lunch or a night when you don't feel like cooking.

Spend a Sunday afternoon doing some prep for the rest of the week. Chop some veggies and fruit for easy access. Cook up some staples (baked chicken, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies), so you have no excuses later in the week.

Avoid temptations (aka restaurants and parties): If you know you can't control yourself, you may want to just avoid putting yourself into tempting situations for the month of April. However, that might not be a possibility for you.

Eat beforehand. You will be less tempted to graze the snack table at a party if you've had a fulfilling meal before you go.

Bring something to share. You can show your friends that eating Paleo is delicious and you know you'll have something compliant to eat.

Get involved in picking the restaurant and check out the menu ahead of time. You can usually find a compliant salad (hold the cheese, croutons, and crappy dressings please), or a steak with some veggies on the side. Don't be afraid to ask your waiter what something is cooked in.

Eat!!!!!!! The Whole30 isn't a "diet" and you most definitely should not feel like you're hungry because you didn't eat enough during it. Make sure you're taking in enough calories, especially from protein and fat, to keep you full throughout the day. Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full.

Focus on what you can have, instead of what you can't: Don't sit in your kitchen feeling sorry for yourself while dreaming of bagels and pasta! Think about all of the delicious, nutritious food you CAN have! If you're feeling deprived have a "treat." Eat some guacamole, enjoy some fruit (fresh or dried), grab a handful of nuts, or stuff your face with some garlic stuffed olives!

This is good to read ahead of time, but it will be even more valuable when you're actually in the trenches. And don't forget to utilize the internet: google whatever questions you have, search the Whole30 forums, read blogs, etc.

Do you have any tips to avoid temptation? Any tips for Whole30 success?

I definitely agree that you should look for treats! I loved the Larabars as well, but what has been getting me through (day 24 here!!) is frozen fruit-mango especially. It's just sweet enough that it satisfies my afternoon cravings.

I love all your tips. Removing temptation from the pantry is a huge one for me. (Shameless volunteer plug: food shelters, such as Pennridge FISH and Manna on Maine, are always looking for unopened boxes of pasta and jars of peanut butter for their clients :-))

I've been reading through the Whole 30 forums/sites and there is INTENSE discussions going on there regarding carbs vs no carbs. It's all so interesting!